Best New Austin Bars 2013

The 15 Best New Watering Holes in Austin

By Greg Levin

Published: March 5, 2013

Photo by Bill Sallans

Let’s be honest: After all those SXSW shows, panels and parties, you need a drink. This city has more than enough options to please any person, and there are new bars and lounges opening up every day. With that in mind, we rounded up the 15 best new bars from the past year or so. Whether you’re craving beer, wine, cocktails, cheese or more loud music, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect place here. Plus, check out our staff picks of oldies but goodies.

Midnight Cowboy is the epitome of dichotomy. It’s a classy joint amidst the Sixth Street chaos, and a best-kept secret that (usually) requires a reservation. It’s a Prohibition-era speakeasy you’ll want to immediately tell your friends about, yet it prohibits cellphone use inside. Cocktail connoisseurs will rejoice over the expertly prepared classics as well as inspired concoctions like The Reluctant Saint, made with dry vermouth, Averna Amaro, St. George absinthe, baked apple bitters and cloved orange zest, and National Acrobat punch, with mescal, aperol, Stone IPA and grapefruit and orange juices. Once you make your reservation for two hours (that’s the max), you’ll be called with instructions on how to enter the secret door- no kidding- to the establishment, which was once a brotherl by the same name. It has since been converted into perhaps the most interesting thing happening in our city’s cocktail culture.

Bar Mirabeau arrived as an elegant new addition to the West Sixth bar-and-restaurant scene last September. Though named after the second president of the Republic of Texas, this New American establishment has plenty of Sao Paulo sophistication and flair. Sip a Caipirinha while sitting on the gorgeous terrace and listening to Brazilian keyboardist Paula Maya & Band on a Thursday evening, or catch some Brazilian music by local act Morena Soul on a Saturday night. If Caipirinhas don’t float your boat, try one of the other sultry signature libations, such as the Mirabeau martini, made with Belvedere lemon vodka, ginger, strawberry, pomegranate, St. Germaine and Champagne, or the Indian Lebowski, a mix of spiced Godiva white chocolate liquor, Stoli vanilla vodka and freshly grated cinnamon. The food, expertly prepared by Chef Bill McGrory IV, is just as impressive. Kick things off with Southern-style crab cakes served with pickled carrots and Sriracha aioli, then dig into risotto featuring seasonal squash, brown butter, fried sage and roasted chestnuts.

Since opening last July, Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden has been serving mouthwatering meat links and a long list of handcrafted brews, including several from 512 Brewing Company. “My goal with Banger’s was just to create a badass sausage and beer bar that my girlfriend would like as much as my buddies,” says owner Ben Siegel. Like most other Rainey Street locales, Banger’s has ample outdoor space and a laid-back feel. This is true even for its patrons’ pets. Folks can park their pooches inside the fenced-in doggy play area while they wash a Bockwurst down with a Pecan Porter. The place keeps things interesting with live music and a variety of scheduled events, such as comedy nights, goat or pig roasts and more. Vegetarians shouldn’t be too frightened; there are two popular meatless sausage options offered: smoked mushroom and asparagus, and beet and goat cheese. And it’s pretty safe to say that no animals were harmed in the making of any of the beer.

If you’re in the mood for some fine wine, exquisite cheese and a selection of charcuterie typically found on the other side of the Atlantic, we know just the place. Since opening last March on South Lamar Boulevard next to Barley Swine, Henri’s has been exposing Austinites to some of the more sophisticated tastes around, including unique reds and whites, bold pates and cured meat and artisan cheese plates that may very well get this Tex-Mex town eating more fromage than queso. “We wanted to create a comfortable place where people could explore wine and cheese without pretension,” says co-owner Will Angst. By day, Henri’s is more of a restaurant and specialty grocery store, but at night it transforms into a slinkier, sexier version of itself, with wine becoming the main attraction.

What happens when you combine a friendly neighborhood bar, several food trailers and a large cluster of majestic live oaks? You get Moontower Saloon, a rustic and wonderful new addition to the South Austin drinking-and-dining scene. Moontower, which just opened in November, is located way south on Manchaca just below Slaughter, but there is plenty to attract folks who generally do their sipping and socializing farther north. If the full bar and huge beer selection doesn’t get them, the outdoor area, live music on weekends and food trucks will. The place is set on a couple of wooded acres and features a number of fire pits and picnic tables, with lots of stars overhead. There’s also billiards and washers, as well as several large-screen TVs for those more interested in the big game than the great outdoors. As for the portable restaurants on site, there’s currently Goodfellers serving Americana gourmet, Ramon’s doling out killer sandwiches, tacos and grilled offerings and Pretty Thai for a White Guy serving Thai treats.

Saying a bar in this city is laid-back is like saying a bar in Denver has a high elevation. It sort of comes with the territory. But Javelina, another happening new joint on Rainey Street, has a particularly chill air about it even by Austin standards- despite what the two severed boars’ heads on one of the walls may suggest. Open for just about a year, the bar has been happily serving locals a great assortment of beer, cocktails and hearty bar food (don’t miss the sweet potato fries) in a Hill Country soul setting. The inside is bright and modern with plenty of space at the bar and just enough ranch-like touches to give it a down-home Texas feel. There’s also a shiny new shuffleboard table that’s a big hit with the regulars. Outside is a wrap-around patio as nice as any outdoor space in the area, and your pup can chill with you out there as long as it’s leashed.

This hip, friendly, eclectic American pub doesn’t serve craft cocktails, spirits, beer, wine and food- it celebrates them. Since opening just off North Loop last February, drink.well. has been tantalizing the palates of even the most demanding drinkers and foodies in town. The cocktails are killer, as are some of their names: The Eulogy, for instance, which features Batavia Arrack, Velvet Falernum, Yellow Chartreuse and fresh lime. The Dead Man’s Party mixes whiskey three ways with maraschino liqueur, fresh grapefruit and lime, cinnamon syrup and Bitterman’s Tiki bitters. There are plenty of other libations with ingredients you may have to Google, as well as enough beer and wine choices to suit the less adventurous. Absorb the alcohol with some house-cut potato chips with assorted dips, the spicy kimchi Reuben or a housemade Twinkie. “Nothing is an after-thought at drink.well.,” says owner Jessica Sanders. Indeed.

Best New People-Watching Bar: The Blackheart
86 Rainey St., 391-1566blackheartbar.com

It was a painstaking process transforming a late-19th century Victorian home into a neighborhood bar, but the result was well worth it. The historic aesthetic is nicely preserved at The Blackheart, and the dark yet warm interior makes it easy to remember the name. Despite its Victorian lineage, this bar, which opened last March, doesn’t put on any false airs. It’s simply a very cool place to drink and mingle. It’s also one of the only bars in the Rainey Street area that offers live music most nights, with local and regional bands taking to the small stage on the beautiful back patio. “We like the simple pleasures,” says general manager and booking partner Jeremy Murray, adding, “We wanted to provide an alternative to the typical Rainey Street bar experience.” As for the drinks, whiskey is where it’s really at here. There are more than 40 available, from Aberlour to Yamazaki and just about everything in between. That said, those who prefer their liquor lighter in tone and taste have plenty of other species of spirits to choose from, as well as wine, beer and cigars.

Debuting last April, HandleBar is your friendly neighborhood bar- with a mustache. Courteous young men, all sporting sweet ‘staches, serve local craft beers, artful boilermakers and cocktails, most of which are named after a famed gent with facial hair. The Selleck, for instance, is a shot of Fireball (cinnamon-flavored whiskey) dunked in ginger beer. The Sam Elliott features two types of bitters with orange peel and sugar stirred with Bols Genever Amsterdam gin. And the Charlie Chaplin mixes Pimm’s No. 1, Tito’s vodka, grapefruit juice, simple syrup and a few dashes of lavender bitters, served on the rocks and topped with ginger beer and mint. As fun as the ‘stached staff and drinks are, the real draw at HandleBar is its upstairs outdoor deck featuring such delightful diversions as a seesaw, playground animals on springs and giant Jenga. And if you have too much to drink, the photo booth on hand will help you remember how much fun you had.

Craft cocktails, stellar staff, low lighting and live jazz. That’s what you’ll find at Firehouse Lounge, which is housed in the oldest standing firehouse in town (built in 1885). Few other places sling drinks of this caliber at prices this affordable, especially if you hit the happy hour, when libations with names like Aperol Blush andBlackberry Rickey can be had for a mere $5 each. Half-price whiskey on Monday nights is an equally great deal. As for eats, you can nibble on fine charcuterie, cheese, smoked almonds and bread and olive oil. Just be warned: The soft red lighting in this place may cause bouts of romance. In the event that it does, and somebody orders you to “get a room,” well, you can. Attached to the lounge is the Firehouse Hostel, which offers boutique budget accommodation complete with a complimentary healthy breakfast and WiFi. So, if you drink too much and can’t find a taxi, just spend the night.

Easy Tiger, which roared into Austin last January, is just your ordinary run-of-the-mill bakery shop and beer garden that offers more reserve whiskeys than you can shake a pretzel stick at. From the street, this palce appers to be just a quaint bakery, with all sorts of artisan breads and pasteries peeking through the windows, but that’s really just part of the picture. Venture downstairs, and you’ll be greeted by the beautiful beer garden with indoor and outdoor seating options. One look at the menu, and you’ll be inundated by a cacophony of carbohydrates, in both solid and liquid form. In addition to all the fresh-baked goodness, there is a vast selection of draft and bottled beers, and, somehow, an even longer list of quality whiskey. Fear not, carnivores, there’s plenty of meat, including housemade sausages, corned beef and pastrami, not to mention lots of cheese. For those concerned about calories, there are a few veggies and salads offered, as well as table tennis outside to trick you into thinking you exercised.

The Brew Exchange is a slice of Wall Street life right on West Sixth Street, only much more entertaining and significantly less risky. Patrons play the stock exchange with beer instead of big bucks. Here’s how it works: The bar, which entered the market last February, features more than 100 types of brew separated into several categories, including pilsner, lager, stout and IPA. Each time somebody orders a beer, the price of that beer goes up while the others in its category go down. There’s a stock ticker over the bar that shows the price fluctuations in real time, thus enabling you to adhere to the bar’s mantra: “Buy low, drink up.” Oh, and if one of the bartenders rings a bell, it doesn’t mean he or she just got a big tip; it means there’s been a “market crash” and the price of every beer on the ticker drops. If you’re on a budget, or are just really into Great Depressions, don’t miss Market Crash Wednesdays (3 p.m. to close), when all draft beer prices fall to all-time lows all night long.

Those in a New York state of drink will feel right at home at Weather Up, which has been serving East Coast craft cocktails on East Cesar Chavez Street since May. The bartenders are more about precision and panache than about pace, so don’t step to the bar cracking a whip. Instead, select from a long list of unique libation and let the artist do his or her work. Don’t worry, you won’t wait too long, and the dirnk you’re handed will no doubt leave you entranced. (Can you say, “Carved Clinebell ice”?) Among the more alluring cocktail creations is the Reposado Zombie, made with tequila reposado, passion fruit, lime, pineapple juice, agave syrup, absinthe and rum, and the Up to Date, a mix of bourbon, curacao, maraschino liqueur, a house-made grenadine and angostura bitters. Equally enticing is the bar’s suave interior, including brown leather booths, intimate lighting and subway tiles on the ceiling. That said, you might be tempted to take your drink outside to the peaceful backyard patio. That’s something you can’t do in Manhattan.

It may have opened just last May, but all signs point to War Horse sticking around more than long enough to earn its nickname. There are no frills or gimmicks, just good, stiff, affordable drinks, a highly inviting interior and service that stands out almost as much as the bar’s exuberant 6-foot-4, 260-pound owner-bartender, Corey Oldham. Situated on bustling West Fifth Street, War Horse makes for an ideal place to grab a drink before or after a big show downtown. But be warned, if you opt to drop in before a concert, don’t be surprised to find yourself enjoying your cocktails and conversation so much that you inadvertently miss your band. Lucky for you, War Horse has started offering some enticing live music of its own, mostly singer-songwriters and indie rock outfits from all over Texas.

No nonsense but plenty of fun would be an apt way to describe Workhorse Bar, which opened last April on North Loop to the delight of many a local. This is a blue-collar bar with a bit of an artist’s soul. A place where a welder and a writer will feel equally at home- and might even share a table. So pull up a char, which are actually tree stumps carved for maximum comfort, and try one of the many craft beers from local brewmasters as Live Oak, 512, Real Ale and Independence. Liquor drinkers will be pleased to find a wide assortment of regional spirits. Prime examples include tequila by Dulce Vida, rum by Railean and whiskey by Balcones, as well as vodkas by the likes of Tito’s, Deep Eddy and Dripping Springs. Several wines from the region are also available. And there’s a great jukebox to fill your ears and plenty of delicious pub fare, including several vegetarian options, to fill your belly. ‘We’ve made an effort to feature as many Teas breweries and local food products as possible while also having some of the best beer prices in town,” explains co-owner Steve Ettle.